Crumbling Down
by Disturbed Courtney
Summary: After the events of XTreme XMen 15, Rogue finds Remy in the rubble... major spoiler alert


Disclaimer: I own none.  If I did, I most definitely wouldn't put them through this hell.

This is my take on what could happen after X-Treme #15.  Spoilers are everywhere.  Remember, this is the worst possible thing that could happen.  So, I'm hoping to think that it actually won't.

Crumbling Down

Rogue shook with sobs as she witnessed through Remy's eyes the destruction around him.  As he was knocked unconscious, she was slammed out of his mind.  His name came out in the form of a wailing shriek before she even realized what she was doing.

"Oh, Gawd, no, no," she brought her hands to her face as tears sprung to her eyes.  She was numb with shock.  She barely felt Davis tapping on her shoulder.

"Rogue?  Rogue, what happened?"

She pulled off her sunglasses and looked at the newest member of the team, tears flowing freely from her bottomless green eyes.  "Remy… the temple…"

"Please tell me it didn't collapse or somethin'."

His words only caused her to choke out an anguished sob.  She curled herself in a ball and pulled herself far away from Davis.  Although he was still in pain, he attempted to reach out to her.  "I'm sorry, Rogue," he managed to say.

"You're sorry?"  She laughed bitterly.  "Davis, you really don't know much of anythin', do ya?  You act like you've got this crush on 'Ro, but it ain't nothin' more 'n puppy love.  Remy," her lip trembled as the name escaped her throat.

Davis just nodded in understanding.  He had enough common sense in him to leave the argument at that.  Comparing what he felt about Ororo to the years of history of Rogue and Remy would just be plain idiotic at this point.  "Maybe he isn't gone… I could get us there on the Warp Wave –"

"You're injured.  Besides, Ah don't need yoah help."  She bit her lip.  "Ah mean, this is somethin' Ah should do on mah own."

Davis nodded again as Rogue stood up.  "Look for Vargas, too."

"Ah will."  Rogue thought quickly and brought up Nightcrawler's teleporting ability.  With her mind set on the temple, she left Davis in a puff of smoke.

Once at the temple, her eyes became watered again.  Smoke was still rising off the destruction.  Rogue couldn't even think of where to begin looking for him.  With a quick mental 'duh', she remembered her telepathy and began sending out psychic probes.  They were small, considering she didn't have prolonged experience with it, but she figured it would still be effective.

_Remy?  Gawd, please be okay._  She tossed debris aside as well.

After a few minutes of searching, her mind picked up a mental groan.  She dropped the piece of cement she was beginning to toss as she pinpointed the groan.  She flew about ten feet and began shuffling through the debris.  She saw a wisp of brown hair and dug even faster.

_"Chere?"_

"Remy?!"  She pulled a final piece off him and scrutinized his injuries.  A piece of metal had lodged its way into his abdomen and the falling rock had caused many bruises and cuts.

Rogue knelt beside him.  "Remy, Ah'm so happy you're alive!"

_"I don' feel so great_," he whispered directly into her head.

_"O' course ya don't,"_ she projected soothingly.  _"But Ah'll get ya outta here an' we'll get ya fixed up an' everythin'll be just fine!  You'll see."_  She started picking extra debris off of him.

_"Rogue,"_ he murmured weakly, his free hand gently taking hers.  A grunt escaped his lips and echoed in her mind as the movement had obviously hurt him.  Her gaze left his torso where she was tending to more rock and she focused on his eyes.  The usual brilliant ruby red irises had dimmed, so much as the red blended in with the black retinas more.  The sight made Rogue instantly cry.  _"Aww, chere, don'._"

_"But Remy!  Ah cain't lose you again!  We were finally gettin' things raht…_"

_"We can always be t'get'er, chere._"  He brought his hand up shakily to her cheek.  Rogue was about to protest, but she knew she couldn't let him slip away from her forever.  She decided that moment that this was how it was going to have to be.

His hand cupped her face with the last bit of physical energy he had.  Neither said goodbye.  There was no need.  Rogue's tears flowed freely, wetting his hand and trailing down his arm.

…

After a few moments of nothing, Rogue noticed as well as Remy that her powers had not taken effect.  _"Why ain' it workin'?_"  Remy was bewildered and his hand began to fall from her face, but Rogue brought her own hand up to hold his hand to her face. 

_"Sage… she enhanced mah powers… so Ah would have control of all the powers Ah've absorbed in the past.  Ah didn't realize it meant this power, too…_"

He chuckled briefly.  _"Y' tell me dis aft'r I knocked a whole buildin' on me._"

Rogue smiled faintly.  This is the Remy she knew.  His thumb gently caressed her cheek.  _"Let me get you out of here, Remy."_

_"I don't have anyt'in' left… jus' do what y' were gon' do…_"

"Dammit, Remy!" She said aloud.  "Ah cain't.  Ah cain't do that to ya anymore!"

_"I'm beggin' y', chere.  Dis way I don' go anywhere.  I'll jus' be wit' you._"  He poked her cheek softly, producing a sharp giggle from her.

She went over it in her head privately.  He was right.  He could always be with her this way.  And with his past, where he would end up going wasn't looking too promising.  Rogue was never much of a religious person, but she knew the difference between heaven and hell pretty well.

_"All raht,"_ she relented.  _"But there's one thing Ah want befoh Ah… do it._"

That trademark smirk came to his face.  _"What could dat be?_"

She grinned.  _"Quiet, Swamp Rat._"  She let his hand fall on her lap as she let go of it.  She quickly tugged off both her gloves and discarded them over her shoulder.  Then, with a slightly wicked look on her face, she hovered above him, a leg on either side of his hips.  She stayed merely inches above his body, so as not to rupture his injuries and cause any more damage.

Without any discussion from either, Rogue cupped Remy's face with both hands, momentarily relishing the feel of the stubble sprinkled across his chin and cheeks.  Through half-lidded eyes, he stared at her, taking in her beauty for all that she was worth.

"Ah love you," she whispered.

"An' I love you…" he murmured hoarsely.

Without wasting another second of the precious time they had left, Rogue leaned in and tentatively brushed her lips against his. For a guy that had no energy left in his entire body, he could sure kiss well.  His lips moved gently against hers.  Rogue couldn't think of a time where she was in more of a blissful state.

_"Chere…_" he spoke up, breaking her out of her state of mind._ "Y' gotta do it now…_"

She mentally nodded and searched around in her head for a way to turn on the power that she could really call her own.  She felt it turn on, and slowly, Remy was running in through her lips and fingers.  He shuddered against her lips, but refused to pull back.

After a few seconds of holding him, she felt him become weak in her hands.  She wanted so much to let go so she wouldn't cause him any pain, but they both knew that she had to hold on until he had none left so he would be present in her mind forever.  She assumed he only had a little bit left…

Suddenly, a yell erupted from Remy and Rogue pulled back immediately.  "Dieu," he breathed.  Rogue's eyes went wide as she looked down to underneath her left leg and Remy's side.  A silver sword stuck out prominently.  She looked back at Remy, her mouth wide as incoherent squeaks came out.  _"Chere…_" he whispered into her mind with his last bit of life

"No!  Remy!"  She held his face again in her hands, attempting to get any sort of response from him, but he was gone.  Her lips trembled with anger and pain.  She knew whom that sword belonged to.  She stood up, hands clenched into fists at her sides.  She turned slowly to see Vargas on his hands and knees, obviously in a lot of pain from the collapse.  "You," she growled.

A malicious smile came to his face.  "I suppose you're ready to fight me now."  He somehow found the strength in him to pull his body up to a standing position, and then a fighting crouch.

"Ah don't understand you!  Why would you do this!  Ah told you ta walk away an' we wouldn't hafta deal with this!"  Her hair stood on end and her hands glowed with Remy's stolen power.

"Dear, dear, Rogue," he laughed.  "We will finish this now."  That damn smile didn't falter in the least.

"Ah won't give you the pleasure."  From deep within her, she found Magneto's magnetic ability.  With her eyes narrowed and lips set in a firm scowl, she flung the power forward, concerned with doing one thing only.

Vargas suddenly stood very straight.  "What… what are you doing?"

"Ah'm freezing the iron in yoah blood.  You are goin' ta pay foh what you did ta Remy."  She clenched her hand again and Vargas convulsed.  

"No… it wasn't supposed to be like this." He twitched again.

Rogue hovered over to him but stayed arms distance away.  "How does it feel to have destiny fulfilled?"  She twisted her hand again, as if she held his heart in her hand.  She squeezed it and blood promptly fell from his mouth, eyes, nose and ears.  Then he dropped dead.  

She floated in the air, alone.  She poked around in her mind for Remy… any part of Remy.  She only found a faint shadow that would soon disappear with time.  She looked over her shoulder to her fallen love.  With a strangled cry she fell to the ground.  She suddenly felt weak… so damn weak.  She crawled over to Remy and curled up next to him and just stayed there, her arm wrapped around his neck.  She hoped to feel a part of him - any part of him - flow through her bare hand, but nothing.

She stayed there with him.  She didn't know how long.  Soon the rest of the team found her with him and the sword in his side.  Vargas was lying in a puddle of his own blood.  They didn't ask questions, just gathered their teammates, both dead in their own ways, and quietly left the temple.

The End.


End file.
